Building structure having spiral transportation ramp thereon



April 29, 1969 c. M. LOTT ,7

BUILDING STRUCTURE HAVING SPIRAL TRANSPORTATION RAMP THEREON Filed Jan. 25, 1967 Sheet of 4 fie. 2 3

FIG. 1.

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BUILDING STRUCTURE HAVING SPIRAL TRANSPORTATION RAMP THEREON Filed Jan. 23, 1967 Sheet ,2 01'4 FIG. .5.

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April 29, 1969 M, LOTT I 3,440,781

BUILDING STRUCTURE HAVING SPIRAL TRANSPORTATION RAMP THEREON Filed Jan. 23, 1967 Sheet 4 of 4 40 mwzzv'roz CHAA/CY M LOTT M4 Hall/5) 5 Ham/5A K5? Awve/ws s United States Patent US. Cl. 52-175 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A multifloor building structure having a plurality of spaced, vertical columns defining a central core area and supporting vertically spaced floor levels positioned in said core area. A continuous, spiral transportation ramp is supported on the columns outwardly thereof, said ramp enclosing passenger carrying cars upwardly and downwardly between the floor levels, and onto and through certain of said floor levels.

This invention relates to a building structure having a spiral transportation ramp thereon wherein the main support for the structure is formed by a plurality of spaced vertical columns, said ramp being supported directly on and immediately adjacent said columns and the combined ramp and columns defining a central core area. More particularly, this invention relates to a building structure of the foregoing type particularly adapted for supporting a plurality of vertically spaced floors in said central core area, with said floors being serviced by said transportation ramp.

With the advent of improved building materials and modern architectural designs and methods, it is possible to provide building structures of virtually any reasonable size and configuration. One of the modern architectural trends has been toward multipurppose building structures. The building structure of the present invention is particularly adapted for satisfying this trend.

For instance, the building structure of the present invention is particularly adapted for the provision of a multifioor structure wherein certain of said floors may house business offices and other business establishments, whereas other floors liberally distributed between said business office floors may house exhibit halls. With the business ofiice floors being occupied by importing firms, exporting firms or the offices of domestic or foreign manu facturing firms, it is possible for any of said firms to exhibit the goods of the firm in the exhibit halls of the exhibit hall floors. In this manner, customers of the various firms visiting the firm ofiices for business purposes may be taken directly to the vertically adjacent exhibit hall floors for a complete viewing and demonstration of the particular goods handled by the firm.

In addition, various of the building structure floors may house completely different types of businesses, such as hotels, conventional shops and the like, all of which may be serviced by the spiral transportation ramp. Also, the extreme upper portion of the building structure may house restaurants and observation floors, all perfectly compatible with a true multipurpose building structure use. Thus, all such uses and variations thereof are fully contemplated within the unique building structure inventions of the present application and the broader inventive principles thereof.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a building structure having a spiral transportation ramp thereon of the foregoing general type wherein said spiral transportation ramp may be of a relatively simple form merely housing a pedestrian walking ramp or may be of a more complex form housing transportation car passages through which transportation cars carrying passengers may move continuously upwardly and downwardly along said transportation ramp and vertically between the various floors of the building structure. Furthermore, Where certain of the floors of the building structure are provided as exhibit hall floors, as hereinbefore discussed, a more complex form of the transportation car passages may include said passages actually extending onto and circuitously through the exhibit halls of said exhibit hall floors whereby a passenger being transported by said transportation cars will be carried not only upwardly and downwardly between the floors of the building structure, but will also be carried through the exhibit halls of said structure for viewing the goods exhibited therein.

It is another object of my invention to provide a building structure having a spiral transportation ramp thereon wherein said ramp when housing transportation car passages therein may include horizontally fiattened ramp portions horizontally adjacent certain of the building structure floors for the convenient discharge and pickup of passengers at said floors by transportation cars moving through said ramp passages. Thus, convenient passenger service is provided at the various floors and a customer may leave or board a transportation car at any of said floors, as desired by said customer. Furthermore, a vertical transportation area may be provided centrally of the central core area, housing the usual elevators and steps so that a customer may have a further choice of transportation for the convenient movement between various floors of the building structure.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a building structure having a spiral transportation ramp thereon wherein said transportation ramp is suspended on the main supporting columns of said building structure in a unique manner. For instance, said spiral transportation ramp may be suspended spiralling around said supporting columns outwardly of said columns through relatively simple structural brackets extending between said ramp and each of said columns. In such form of the present invention, the spiral transportation ramp circumscribes virtually the entire remainder of the building structure, including said structural columns and the central core area defined inwardly of and supported on said columns.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings which are for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of a building structure incorporating the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic, side elevational view indicating one possible layout of floor usage of the building structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic, developmental, side elevational view of the spiral transportation ramp suspended on the building structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of the lower loading floor level on the building structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but of an exhibit floor level;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but of the upper transfer level; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, sectional view through the spiral transportation ramp and showing typical internal details thereof and the manner of supporting the same on one of the vertical supporting columns.

Referring for the moment to FIGS. 1 and 2, a building structure incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown in side elevation in FIG. 1 and in schematic side elevation in FIG. 2. Said building structure includes a series of spaced, vertically extending, structural columns defining an inner or central core area, generally indicated at 12, said columns suspending and outwardly supporting a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally extending floors 13, which floors are eliminated from FIG. 1 in order to more clearly show other details of construction, but are shown schematically in FIG. 2. Furthermore, a spiral transportation ramp 14 is suspended on and outwardly of said columns 10 extending continuously and progressively vertically around said columns and the central core area 12 so as to circumscribe both said columns and said central core area. The columns 10 may be of a typical double diamond column construction formed of plate steel and of appropriate strength for preferably supporting the entire building structure.

The lowest floor level indicated at 16 is the entrance or loading level for the transportation ramp 14 and is the lower termination of said ramp, being reached by a typical walking ramp 17 (FIG. 1) providing access into the entrance and exit walking passages 18 and 19 (FIG. 4), indicated by broken arrows, and other vertical transportation means to be hereinafter described. A plurality of intermediate floor levels are either ofiice floor levels, indicated at 20, housing typical business offices of exhibit hall floor levels, indicated at 22, housing exhibit halls, to be hereinafter discussed more in detail. The upper termination of the transportation ramp 14 is at a transfer floor level indicated at 24 and thereabove may be positioned an observation floor level indicated at 26 and a plurality of restaurant floor levels indicated at 28, all of which are covered by a typical roof 30.

The ofiice floor levels 20, the observation floor level 26 and the restaurant floor levels 28 may be constructed and layed out in somewhat conventional fashion, the particulars of which are not of importance to the present invention. Furthermore, all of said ofiice, observation and restaurant floor levels may include the usual sidewalls formed principally of glass, which is prevalent in modern day architecture.

More particularly to the principles of the present invention, a developmental view of the spiralling configuration of the transportation ramp 14 from the lowermost entrance or loading floor level 16 up to the uppermost transfer floor level 24 is shown in FIG. 3. The transportation ramp 14 is formed with a flattened portion 32 at the lowermost loading floor level 16, flattened portions 34 preferably at each of the intermediate exhibit floor levels 22 and a flattened portion 36 at the uppermost transfer floor level 24, all for a purpose of convenient transportation loading and unloading, as will be hereinafter more fully discussed. Furthermore, generally speaking, the transportation ramp 14 extends continuously, spirally, upwardly and downwardly between said loading and transfer floor levels 16 and 24, as shown in FIG. 1 and indicated in FIG. 3.

The general internal construction of the transportation ramp 14 and the manner of suspension thereof on the structural columns 10 is illustrated in FIG. 7. As shown, the ramp 14 is self-enclosing, having an outer glass wall 38 and usual insulation 40 over the remainder of the exterior thereof. An air-conditioning and lighting duct 42 is formed at an upper portion thereof and an equipment space 44 at a lower portion thereof, said equipment space underlying a ramp surface 46.

The ramp surface 46 is horizontally segregated into adjacent transportation car passages, the outer of which is preferably a continuous up car passage 48 and the inner of which is preferably a continuous down car passage 50, said car passages preferably being horizontally separated by a continuous pedestrian passage 52. The inner sides of the car passages 43 and 50 may be provided with a series of spaced light and grab poles 54, with a series of transportation cars 56 for transporting people along the transportation ramp 14 being movable along the car passages 48 and 50 in the indicated upwardly and downwardly directions. The transportation cars 56 are preferably of the self-propelled, rubber tired type and are constantly engaged with a central track 58 along each of the car passages 48 and 50 in view of the spiral sloping of the transportation ramp 14.

As hereinbefore stated, the transportation ramp 14 is suspended on and outwardly of the structural columns 10 so as to spirally circumscribe the structural columns and the central core area 12. For supporting the transportation ramp 14 on the structural columns 10, an angled lower ramp wall 60 is secured to a triangular shaped, steel bracket 62 preferably at each of the columns 10, which brackets are, in turn, secured to the respective columns. Thus, the brackets 62 extend angularly downwardly and inwardly to the columns 10 so as to support the transportation ramp 14 spiralling around the outer sides of the columns in cantilever fashion. Inner ramp wall 64 is also preferably secured to each of the columns 10 to complete the ramp supporting structure.

The individual layouts of the loading, exhibit hall and transfer floor levels 16, 22 and 24 are shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, resepctively. As seen in said floor level layouts, the entire vertical height of the central core area 12 may be provided with a central vertical transportation area 66 extending completely to ground level, including steps 68 and elevator 70 for transporting persons and freight vertically of the building structure where it is desired not to use the transportation ramp 14. The vertical transportation area 66 may also form horizontaly inward support for the floors 13 forming the various floor levels discussed, extending between such area and the columns 10. Thus, said steps 68 and elevator 70 will provide means for passing from the uppermost transfer floor level 24 of the transportation ramp 14 to the overlying observation floor level 26 and restaurant floor levels 28.

Referring particularly to the lowermost loading floor level 16 of the transportation ramp 14, as shown in FIG. 4, it is seen that the up and down car passages 48 and 50 of said transportation ramp extend onto the loading floor level and are end connected on said floor level. Thus, transportation cars 56 moving down the down car passage 50 arrive at the loading floor level 16 and pass onto said loading floor level for the discharge of passengers therefrom. Thereafter by continuing to move in the same direction circuitously across the loading floor level 16, the unloaded transportation cars 56 may stop at a loading area for the pickup of passengers, and then move continuously into the up car passage 48 and ultimately back into the transportation ramp 14 for the spiral movement in said ramp back up along the building structure, all as indicated by the appropriate directional arrows.

It is also preferred to provide at the loading floor level 16 and transfer floor level 24 various storage areas for the transportation cars 56, said storage areas being indicated at 72, and movement into and from said storage areas by the cars being gained by appropriate switches (not shown). When traffic is at a minimum, certain of the transportation cars 56 may be removed from the transportation ramp 14 and placed in said storage areas 72. When the requirements dictate, the transportation cars 56 may be removed from said storage areas 72 and replaced in the transportation ramp 14 as required.

It is preferred that the up car passage 48 upon leaving the loading floor level 16 and moving spirally upwardly along the transportation ramp 14 will travel the entire vertical distance of the transportation ramp continuously without moving onto any of the other floor levels until reaching the uppermost transfer floor level 24. As shown in FIG. 6, when the up car passage 48 reaches the transfer floor level 24, the up car passage extends onto said transfer floor level, extends circuitously along said transfer floor level and is end connected directly into the down car passage 50. The transportation cars 56, therefore, upon reaching the transfer floor level 24 after passing upwardly through the up car passage 48, may discharge and pick up passengers, and then move continuously into the down car passage 50 for entrance of the transportation ramp 14 in the downward direction, said movement again being shown by appropriate directional arrows.

It will be particularly noted that the up car passage 48 in the transportation ramp 14 is the outermost car passage so that the transportation cars 56 will move continuously spirally upwardly along the building structure in this outermost car passage, whereas the down car passage 50 is at the inner side of the transportation ramp 14 and it is in this inner car passage that the transportation cars begin their downward spiral movement. The transportation ramp 14 is provided with the flattened portions 34 preferably at each of the exhibit hall floor levels 22 so that the transportation cars 56 on their spiral upward movement in the transportation ramp, that is, in the up car passage 48, may stop at said flattened portions 34 for the discharge and pickup of passengers. Other than such passenger access, the up car passage 48 preferably does not extend onto any of the intermediate floor levels between the loading floor level 16 and the transfer fioor level 24.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the spiral downward extension of the down car passage 50 within the transportation ramp 14, the down car passage at preferably each of the exhibit hall floor levels 22 passes onto said floor level, circuitously around said floor level and back into the transportation ramp to continue the spiral downward extension. The transportation cars 56, therefore, moving downwardly along the down car passage 50 within the transportation ramp 14 will move onto each of the exhibit hall floor levels 22 and over the extent of each floor level before proceeding on downwardly in the transportation ramp 14. In this manner, passengers riding downwardly through the transportation ramp 14 will pass through each of the exhibit halls at the exhibit floor levels 22 and have the opportunity to view exhibits on said exhibit hall floor levels placed adjacent the sides of the down car passage 50.

The basic purpose of providing the vertically spaced exhibit hall floor levels 22 and the intermediate office floor levels 20 therebetween is that the office floor levels may be occupied by various companies and organizations selling various types of goods. For instance, the offices on the ofiice floor levels 20 may be those of importers, or exporters, or various domestic and foreign manufacturing firms. The goods of these firms may be displayed on the vertically adjacent exhibit hall floor levels 22 so that passengers riding downwardly along the transportation ramp 14 will be automatically carried onto the exhibit hall floor levels for viewing displays of said goods.

I have provided, therefore, according to the principles of the present invention, a building structure having a unique form of passenger transportation integrated directly therewith, said passenger transportation being a continuous spiral transportation ramp 14 extending upwardly along the building structure and encompassing a central core area 12 which may be provided with various forms of ofiice and exhibit hall floor levels 20 and 22. Furthermore, car passages 48 and 50 are provided in the transportation ramp 14, with at least one of said car passages in the upward or downward travel passing directly onto the exhibit hall fioor levels 22 so that passengers riding through said passages may directly view exhibits contained in exhibit halls on said exhibit hall floor levels. Still further, the transportation ramp 14 is preferably suspended outwardly in a unique manner encircling and supported on a series of vertical structural columns 10, which columns, in turn, define the central core area 12 and also support the various floor levels and other structure components within said central core area.

I claim:

1. In a building structure, the combination of: a plurality of spaced, vertically extending columns horizontally circumscribing a central core area; a plurality of vertically spaced floors in said core area supported on said columns, said floors including a lower floor and an upper floor with a multiplicity of other floors spaced vertically therebetween; a generally spiral substantially enclosed transportation ramp supported on said columns and horizontally circumscribing said columns and said core area floors, said ramp extending continuously progressively outwardly along and vertically between said core area floors from said lower floor to said upper floor; and horizontally adjacent and separate, inner and outer transportation car passages partially on said ramp each extending continuously from on said lower floor along substantially the entire of said enclosed ramp to on said upper floor, said inner passage extending continuously along said ramp and continuously onto and circuitously along and from certain of said other floors spaced between said lower and upper floors while still constituting a continuous passage between said lower and upper floors, said inner passage extension circuitously along said certain of said other floors being permanently defined and continuous from and to said ramp, said outer passage extending continuously only along said ramp between said lower and upper floors, said inner car passage being formed to retain transportation cars thereon movable captive only continuously lengthwise of said inner passage between said lower and upper floors including continuous captive movement along said inner passage in its extension onto and circuitously along and from said certain of said other floors, said outer car passage being formed to retain said transportation cars thereon movable captive only continuously lengthwise of said outer passage between said lower and upper floors.

2. A building structure as defined in claim '1 in which said inner and outer transportation ,car passages extend onto and separately circuitously along each of said lower and upper floors having passage ends thereof lengthwise aligned and connected on said lower and upper floors so that vehicles may move continuously from one passage to the other on said lower and upper fioors without rversing lengthwise directional movement thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,039,545 9/1912 Knight 52-175 2,908,946 10/1959 Sullivan 52l75 FMNK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

S. D. BURKE, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 52-236 

